Grain-car-unloading apparatus



H. F. KENS GRAIN CAB. UNLOADING APPARATUS *sept0 29, 1925.

Filed Dec. 19

y Sheets-Sheet' 1 UNK .fifty Sept. 29, 1925.

H.v F'. yKENS GRAIN CA'R UNLOADING APPARATUS @sheets-sheet 2 [raven t-or MMM/ fam Atty..

Sept. 29, 1925.

H. F. KENS GRAIN CAR UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 19. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5.

- l a discharging Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES HARRY FOREMAN KENS, F IMPERIAL, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA.

GRAIN-CAR-UNLOAIDING APIARATUS.

Y, Application filed December 19, 1924. Serial lNo. 156,995.

To whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY FOREMAN KENs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, resident of the town of Imperial, in the Province of Saskatchewan, in the Dominion 20' for the purpose, thus facilitating and expediting unloading.

This invention is specially applicable to unloading grain cars at terminal elevators and by its use such cars can be unloaded with despatch thus saving demurrage through the holding up of cars.

The invention consists substantially of the novel construction and arrangement of parts as shown in the drawings, described in the present specification, and specifically defined in the claims hereinafter appended.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention partly in section 'and depicting a grain car raised to position, such car being shown in outline only.

Figure2 is plan view of Figure 1 with this car removed.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a stop-block' l" and rail.

Figure 4 is an end view of Figure 3 showing the rail in section.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1. Figure 6 is a further vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 1i @Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a concrete pier, the top of which is level with the ground.` vOpposing this pier and spaced a considerable distance therefrom is a further pier 2 on the same level. This pier is provided with an abatement or cutaway portion 3 in order to provide an abutment. Extended between these two piers is a concrete base f1- and sidewalls 5 and 6 likewise formed of concrete material.` Intermediate of the piers is a bulkhead 7 which divides the space between them into a grain pit 8 and a hoist pit 9.

Extended from the pier 1 is an overhanging track extension 10 constructed of structural steel parts and sustained by` transverse I-beams 11. This track support is of lesser width than the distance between the sidewalls 5 andv 6 and provides space on eachof its sides as at 12 communicating withV the grain pit 8.

This space is provided for the purpose of admitting grain thereto.

13 are a pair of rails of standard gauge extending from the railway siding and ter minating lushwith the end of the overhanging support 10. Borne upon the other pier 2 is a further pair of rails 14 which extend therefrom to a siding. These rails terminate abruptly at the face 15 of the abutment 3.V

At opposing points in the walls 5 and are substantial slots 16, such slots being located in close proximity to the track support 10. Securely embedded in their ends are journal boxes 17 and journalled in same is a substantial transverse axle'18 of a square cross section. The ends of this axle are turned to form trunnions which rest in the journal boxes.

19 is abridge supported upon the shaft 1S at one end and upon the abutment 3 at its other end. This bridge is constructed ofV structural steel parts and heavily reinforced, its top4 being on a level with the track support 10 and the top of the pier 2. l It is rigidlysecured to the axle 18y by gussets 20 :ina manner well known to the art, and is of a width equal to such track support thus leaving 0space on both of its sides similar to the space 12.

Mounted upon this bridge are rails 21 which serve to connect the rails 13 and 14 in order to provide a continuous passage for railway cars.` These rails may be Vsecured to the bridge by rivets or in any other con-` venient manner.

22 are lstopblocks, one beingv'provided for each of the rails 21 and are positioned at opposing points thereof superimposing the axle or shaft 18. Each of Ithese stopblocks is provided with a shoulder 23, for resting upon their respective rail tops. Pivotally connected to the stopblocks upon the outside of the rails are links 24 which are carried by eyefstraps 25 riveted to Ythe bridge 19 or otherwise secured to the same.

26 are slots cut in the upper portions of the stopblocks for the purpose of receiving the connecting rodl 27 having enlarged ends 28.

It' will be readily manifest that by this construction these blocks may be swung from a lowered to a raised position for the purpose of encountering the railway car and preventing its being shunted beyond the length of the bridge.

The railway car shown in outlinein Figure 1 is provided with gates 29 positioned at its ends and also at its sides. This car is shun-ted along the rails 14 onto the bridge 21 until it encounters the stopblocks 22 whereat it is brought to a standstill for the purpose of raising one end/ of the carin order that the grain may be gravitated towards and bedischarged from the gates 29 at the other end into the pit 8. It may be remarked in this connection that it is advisable to provide some means for strapping the car to the' bridgeas it might otherwise be inclined to break loose from its stopblocks 22 when the car is tilted; and for this purpose clamps 30 are provided pivotally carried on each side of the bridge.

Since there are many types of clamps that would achieve this object, no particular detail of same is given in the drawings; it being understood that any convenient clamp may be employed for this purpose as such clamp'does not form a part of the present invention.

31 and 32 are vertical masts rigidly embedded in the concrete basel 4 of the hoist pit 9 and positioned one` upon each side of the bridge 19.

33`and 34 are a pair of props embedded in the pier 2 and converge to their respec-` tive mastsr 31 and 32. The top ends of the masts and the props are rigidly a-Hixed together by structural steel parts in the usual manner and seated upon the top of these arebearings 35, one to each mast. Transversely carried by these bearings is a shaft 36 having its ends journalled therein- This shaft carries a pair of sheaves 37 and 38 located one at each end of the inner sides of the masts, such sheaves being keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft.l

At opposing points of the lower ends of the masts 31 and 32 is a further pair of bearings 39 which carry a substantial transverse shaft 40 likewise journalled therein. Rigidlly keyed to this shaft is a pair of drums 41- and 42 which are located subjacent to the respective sheaves 37 and 38. kiWbund upon each of these drums are cables 43 and 44, one end of which is secured to the drums. These cables extend upwardly from their drums and pass over the sheaves 37 and 38, whence they depend and connect to the bridge, one upon each side, by means of eye straps 45,

Rigidly carried on the drum shaft 40 is a worm wheel 46 and meshing with this worm wheel is a worm 47 which in turn is carried by a drive shaft 48. This drive shaft is connected through suitable gearing and clutches to a steam engine 49 located inthe hoist pit 9, which engine provides the necessary motive power for operating the aforesaid hoisting mechanism.

Vhile the steam engine with its necessary accompanying equipment is preferred, in

this connection it will be readily understood that any conventional type of motor may be employed in this capacity with the necessary reduction gearing and its clutch equipment. No specific construction of clutches or gearing is disclosed in the present invention other than a worm geary 36 and worm 48 as there are many types of hoisting tackle that could be serviceably employed in this connection wit-hout involving invention and it is merely a matter of mechanical skill to connect any motor with its accompanying apparatus to the transverse shaft 40 for the purpose of operating the same in either direction. l

In the use of this invention, assuming the blocks 22 to be lowered; they are raised to an upright position by swinging them on their links 24 until the shoulders 23 rest upon the tops of their respective rails, where they are then locked by fitting the rod 27 within their slots 26 with its heads 28 upon the outside thereof.

The car to be unloaded is shifted along the tracking 14 on the tracks 2l of the bridge 19 until it encounters the raised stopblocks 22 which prevent its further prog.

ress. The car is then strapped to the bridge by means of the clamps 30 and the discharge gates 29, both those situated centrally of the car and those at the grain-pit end, are.

opened.- The hoisting apparatus is then brought into operation, rotating the worm 48 and driving the shaft 40 through the worm wheel 46. As this shaft revolves in the direction `necessary to wind up the drums 41 and 42, and since` the cables 43 and 44 are wound upon these drums, the free end of the bridge is raised While the other end partially turns on the trunnions of its shaft 18. In this manner the car is gradually tilted and the grain gravitated through the discharging gate openings into the pit. Upony the car being emptied the hoisting mechanism is reversed, until the bridge resumes its normal position again whenthe clamps 30 are released and the` stopblocks swung out of interference by merely removing the rod 27 and swinging them on their links 24 to one side. The car is then shunted along from the bridge 19 onto the tracks 13 and replaced by the next car to be unloaded.

Vhat I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, a pair of opposing piers, sidewalls connecting the same together, a bulkhead positioned intermediate of the piers, the space upon one of its sides constituting a grain pit and that upon the other side a hoist pit, a track support extending over said grain pit, spaced rails aixed thereupon forming a track, a bridge extending between this support and the opposing pier, trurinions j ournailing the bridge in the sidewalls, spaced rails aflixed upon the bridge extending from the aforesaid rails to the opposing pier, further rails carried by this pier constituting a continuation of the bridge rails, and a hoisting apparatus extending upwardly from the hoist pit for tilting the bridge upon its journals.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of opposing piers, sidewalls connect ing the same together, a bulkhead positioned intermediate of the piers, the space upon one of its sides constituting a grain pit and that upon the other side a hoist pit, a track support extending over said grain pit, spaced rails aiixed thereupon forming a track, a bridge extending between this support and the opposing pier, trunnions journalling the end of the bridge adjoining said track support in the aforesaid sidewalls, an abatement formed in the opposing pier for sustaining the other end of said bridge, spaced rails affixed upon the bridge extending from the aforesaid track rails to the opposing pier, further rails carried by this pier constituting a continuation of the bridge rails, and a hoisting apparatus extending upwardly from the hoist pit for tilting the bridge upon its journals.

3. In a device of the class described, a pair of opposing piers, sidewalls connecting the same together, said sidewalls having oppositely located vertical slots, journal boxes embedded in the sidewalls at the ends of said slots, a bulkhead positioned intermediate of the piers, the space upon one of its sides constituting a grain pit and that upon the other side a hoist pit, a track support extending over said grain pit, spaced rails affixed thereupon forming a track, a bridge extending between this support and the opposing pie-r, a transverse shaft carrying the end of said shaft adjoining the track support and mounted in the journal boxes of the sidewalls, an abatement formed in the opposing pier for sustaining the other end of said bridge, spaced rails aiixed upon the bridges extending from the aforesaid rails to the opposing pier, further rails carried by this pier constituting a continuation of the bridge rails, and a hoisting apparatus extending upwardly from the hoist pit for tilting the bridge upon its journals.

Signed at Imperiah Saskatchewan, Canada, this first day of December 1924.

HARRY FOREMAN KEN S. 

